Daniel 1:17-21, The Excelling of the Hebrew Young Men

This first section of Daniel’s book highlights a basic theme of the work, which is Yahweh’s care and concern for His people who obey Him while they are in exile from their homeland. Israel was in exile as a discipline from God for their widespread idolatry. But affected by the discipline were also those Israelites who had remained faithful to God. Those in exile who acted faithfully were made to prosper, though not without challenges (see Esther).

¹⁷ As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. ¹⁸ At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. ²⁰ And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. ²¹ And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

God helped Daniel and his friends in two ways. He gave them success in learning what they were being taught, and, in Daniel’s case, gave him understanding of all visions and dreams. Under the king’s examination they, of all those in training, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, stood out, even, we suppose, over those others from Israel and from other nations conquered by Babylon. There may have been some who did not pass the test and did not get to “stand before the king” (serve him), but Daniel and his friends did.

Daniel and friends were trained as “magicians and enchanters,” and, we would posit, in divination (divining or discerning God’s will). The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the Old Testament has much helpful information about this:

Enchanters “refers to “incantation priests.” Their general task was to ward off the effects of threatening omens by performing the appropriate rituals. This often included reciting incantations.

The different forms of divinatory practice can be roughly divided into three types:

1. 1. The study of unsolicited omens. This involved observing various forms of natural phenomena, such as astronomical and meteorological events, the behavior of animals, and abnormal births.
   2. The obtaining of omens by using various techniques for asking a question of the god(s) and obtaining an answer. Some of the techniques used were dropping oil on water and observing the shapes formed, burning incense and observing the shapes made by the smoke, and sacrificing an animal and observing its entrails, especially the liver.
   3. The use of human “mediums.” Prophecy was not common in Mesopotamia, being attested mainly from its western fringes, such as at Mari. Dream interpretation was more widespread. Necromancy (i.e., consultation of the dead by means of a human medium) was also practiced.

Keil and Delitzsch remark:

Instruction in the wisdom of the Chaldeans was, besides, for Daniel and his three friends a test of their faith, since the wisdom of the Chaldeans, from the nature of the case, was closely allied to the Chaldean idolatry and heathen superstition, which the learners of this wisdom might easily be led to adopt. But that Daniel and his friends learned only the Chaldean wisdom without adopting the heathen element which was mingled with it, is evidenced from the steadfastness in the faith with which at a later period, at the danger of their lives (cf. Daniel 3:6), they stood aloof from all participation in idolatry, and in regard to Daniel in particular, from the deep glance into the mysteries of the kingdom of God which lies before us in his prophecies, and bears witness of the clear separation between the sacred and the profane. But he needed to be deeply versed in the Chaldean wisdom, as formerly Moses was in the wisdom of Egypt (Acts 7:22), so as to be able to put to shame the wisdom of this world by the hidden wisdom of God.

Their faithfulness to God in not practicing forbidden arts is also evidenced in the way they handled the dietary issue. There might have been some practices they were taught that did not conflict with their faith and which they practiced, but they learned all they were taught whether they practiced it or not. We’ll see that, in regard to the king’s dream mentioned in chapter two, the other Chaldeans were not able to “divine” the dream and its meaning, so these arts were not always, if ever, successful.

Is some magic real? The magicians in Pharaoh’s court were able to turn their staffs into snakes and water into blood, like Moses did (Exodus 7). It is a question debated by Jews and Christians alike.

The author finishes this section by remarking that Daniel served in this capacity until the reign of Cyrus. This doesn’t mean he didn’t serve beyond this time, which it seems, indeed, he did. But given that he might have been 15 when he entered training it seems he lived at least to the age of 83 and perhaps even longer, to possibly age 90.

Taking up my cross daily: Lord, You have given me all my abilities and teachers to instruct me, so today I desire to exercise Your gifts to me in service to You.